Do I need my own Website to make money online?

Well the simple answer to that is No. Although there are many benefits of having your own website, however you really don’t need one to make money online, and many people achieve great success online without their own website.

One example of this is medical doctor who was making $90,000 per month from his internet business that promotes the services of other companies. He uses several online marketing techniques that don’t require him to have his own website. He is now got 4 staff working on computers in his home office, started several other online businesses and still doesn’t have his own website.

The main benefit of not having your own website when you’re starting your web business is that there is no initial outlay to purchase a domain, no cost for web hosting and no need to hire a website designer. The only thing you really need is the ability to seek the necessary knowledge before and during your money making process.

Making money online without your own website

To make money online you need to first “Choose your source of Online Income” whether it be an affiliate program, selling products on eBay or selling your work or services on sites like istockphoto.com or guru.com. When I first started an online business I was selling Tazos collected out of chip packets for about $5 + postage each on eBay, the chip packets only cost $1.50 and people started giving me Tazos as well when they thought I was collecting them.

All of these sites will have a unique web address that will direct others to your product, such as an affiliate link, an eBay store/item page link, or your profile for sites like guru.com or istockphoto.com.

Marketing Techniques – Getting sales without your own website

There are an unlimited number of possible marketing ideas to market your links online, with the only real limit being your effort you put in. However there are a few major free and paid mediums where these ideas will draw the most attention.

• Blog or Article Writing: This is probably the most popular method to attract attention as it is probably the easiest way to do so and you can write about whatever you like. Although if it relates to the product you’re selling you will generally have a far greater chance of converting sales. To start you’re writing sign up to free blogging sites like blogger.com, uwcblog.com or article sites like ezinearticles.com. It is also possible to write articles or posts on your own free hosted webpage on sites like squidoo.com or hubpages.com. All of these sites have plenty of information on how to use them and how to get the most out of them; you can find it either on their site or by searching through search engines.

• Podcasting: Podcasting is simply just audio files with content that is updated frequently (ie radio program or personal journal) and listeners then have the freedom to download and listen when convenient. A popular podcast has the power to generate quite a list of subscribers/followers, all potential customers.

• Video Marketing: Online video marketing is a rapidly growing medium with the introduction of faster internet speeds; it is probably the best way to engage audiences on the net. A popular video online can create quite a buzz, spreading across the world literally overnight.

• Paid online advertising: Paid online advertising is the most widely used form of internet advertising, it is the quickest and easiest way to get your link noticed, however it can also be the very expensive especially if it’s not done right.

So as you can probably gain from this, you don’t really need your own website to make money online. In fact it may be more beneficial to start off this way as it allows more focus on creative marketing techniques and setting yourself out from the competition. Which is a plus once you do decide to start your own website and learnt how to make your own website, as you’ll be more equipped with the knowledge and skills to market effectively.